Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Fall of the Mighty ❯ Tension ( Chapter 25 )

~Lady Macbeth: What Hath Made Them Drunk Hath Made Me Bold~

I just saw the episode where Kaky destroyed (kid, I think) Buu with a spirit bomb. It ended with Vegy and Kaky giving each other a thumbs up. Pretty cool. Too bad it was in Japanese with no subtitles. It was funny when Vegeta punched Satan in the gut while he was hanging on the doofus for support but I'm not sure why he did it. …Now I just have to see everything between Vegeta killing himself and that last episode. *sigh* Well… I've seen the episode where Gotenks took on Buu and the episodes where Vegy and Kaky fused to fight Buu until they got absorbed and now the end battle. Damn you funimation!!! DAMN YOUUUUUUUU!!!

Anyway. *glances hesitantly at Anouk who seems to have been turned to a quivering puddle of twitching convulsing non-fan, and by only chapter 6* At least I assume so by that review. ^_^ hehehehehe I guess that lemon was better than I thought.

I'm really big on dreams. Just like irony. They can tell you so much about yourself or someone else. I could listen to people talk about their dreams all day. It's the easiest way to get to know someone. I have the most interesting dreams. Most of them are like the one Spice had. For some reason just about everyone I have ever known has tried to kill me in my dreams or either assisted or allowed someone else to try to kill me. I guess I have a complex of some sort.

Yes, yes. Sad, so sad, so freaking sad. It's starting to bum even *me* out. I am in a pretty good mood right now so I don't know how long the melancholy will last. But don't rejoice just yet……I'll let ya know soon. Here's a nice long chapter in the meantime because I'm trying to get passed this part so I can get on with the rest of the story. Longest chapter to date.

I'm glad you guys like the story. I never thought that it would be very popular and it certainly surprised me that Spice would be so liked as well. A fic about Spice? Would you really like that? O.o I don't know what to say. I've had hate reviews and love reviews about her. Normally I would say no but…… I don't know. Let's see what you all think. If you are still interested as I get closer to the end of the fic then we'll see. It will depend on how many of you would be interested in a story like that. I can already envision it. Maybe I'll put some of it to paper in the interim.

I've got another song for this chapter and some of the next ones. This one matches both Spice and Tong. At least for a little while. It's Limp Bizkit - Boiler.

~What Hath Quenched Them Hath Given Me Fire~

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"You may move freely between here and Capsule Corp. Do what you want."

She turned and gave a ghost of a smile but her eyes lacked the playful fire that they normally held. Her usual teasing tone was flat. "What if I want to kick your ass like I promised?"

"Then get dressed."

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*Tension*

Goten opened his eyes blearily and rubbed them with sleepy hands. "What, dad?" He sat up and yawned wide. "Something wrong?" When Goku didn't answer right away Goten sobered. "What is it?"

His father sat down on the bed in the dark and Goten switched on the lamp. "Videl passed away. She had a heart attack."

The younger man's face fell and his eyes grew watery. He looked off into the room dazedly. "Oh no." Tossing the covers back he set his feet on the floor and sighed. "Is Gohan okay?"

Goku looked resigned. "A lot happened today."

The younger man looked back to his dad sadly. "Are *you* okay?"

The father paused. "I'm okay. There's nothing that can be done about either of them. You can't change a natural death."

Goten nodded and stared at the floor. "I know but…you can't be sure…can you?"

"Trunks sounded pretty sure." Goku forced a smile and stuck one hand behind his head before looking away. "I'm not sure I want to try to find out."

His son stood up and grabbed the shirt from where it had been slung on the bedpost earlier. "Where's Vegeta?"

Goku stood up also. "He should still be asleep I think. That's why I'm here. I wanted to let you know so that I can make sure I'm back before he wakes up. Pan said she didn't want to tell the kids till tomorrow after they wake up."

Goten nodded. "I understand. Fleaa is at Trunks' house with Naga and the boys are all passed out. They won't wake up for a while. I'll go see Gohan. Don't worry. I'm sure it'll all work out."

Goku hugged his son. "Thanks, Goten. I know this is hard on you but your brother really needs it. Only Pan is there. You know how it's been. Tong should be back sometime soon. He said he would be. Spice… We don't know where she is. She didn't take it very well."

Goten shook his head. "It's not hard on me. It's been a long time since Flora died and I know she keeps an eye on us every so often. Gohan just needs someone who knows how he feels right now. I'll go over as soon as I check on the kids."

"Alright. I'll see you later. Thanks." Goku pressed two fingers to his forehead and disappeared.

The first things he saw in the dark were the empty rumpled sheets on the bed. "Uh oh."

He searched but couldn't locate Vegeta's ki anywhere. Quickly he started to search the complex. 'Please! Please be here!'

Spice and Vegeta both flicked their eyes toward the hall where the sound of hurried footsteps could suddenly be heard, but neither of them turned their attention from their food. When Goku came skidding to a halt in the middle of the kitchen, neither of them acknowledged his presence.

"Spice?" Goku's surprise was obvious but he recovered quickly. "Thank goodness you're okay. We were starting to worry."

Vegeta snorted. "Only just now? Hn. A little late." The girl glared daggers at him.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Spice spoke quickly before going back to picking at her meal. "Nothing. He's just being sarcastic. I made more if you want some. An early early morning repast?" She got up and grabbed a large plate piled high with waffles and set it in front of an empty seat. "This kitchen is stocked better than the C.C."

"That's because there are not fifteen Saiyans constantly raiding this one." Vegeta offered dryly.

Goku sat, still confused, glancing from one to the other until Spice stuck a fork in his hand and a bottle of maple syrup in front of him.

"I'm done. I wasn't hungry anyway. I'm gonna go to sleep."

Vegeta nodded without looking at her and Goku watched her leave the room. He turned to the prince. "How did she get here?"

"I brought her." The ouji responded between bites. "How else would she be here?"

The taller man frowned. "Well, I know *that*. Why?"

"Must I have a reason for everything?"

Goku sounded frustrated. "Yes. You always have a reason for everything."

"Eat."

Goku sighed and hesitantly dug in. He ate ravenously while Vegeta watched him closely. When he finished the prince got up to leave and Goku stood up as well. "Where ya goin?"

The prince eyed him strangely before answering and continuing on. "To bed. It's still dark."

Relieved, Goku followed. By the time he reached the room Vegeta was already plopped on the bed with his back to him. The prince hadn't even bothered to change out of his training clothes or to use the blanket. Goku toed off his boots and pulled off his shirt before sitting on the edge on the bed. He just sat there watching the rhythmic rise and fall of the prince's shoulder. "Vegeta?"

He didn't respond.

"Vegeta, I'm sorry."

"Baka." Came the rough reply.

"Gohan's sorry too but it's not his fault."

Again the prince didn't respond.

"Vegeta, please forgive him. You have to forgive him!"

"Shut up and go to sleep."

"Vege…"

"Sleep!"

Goku sat in silence for a while and Vegeta made no move to face him. Finally he laid down with his own back to the prince. He pulled the blanket up and hugged his pillow, taking long deep breaths.

Vegeta could hear the tight labored breaths even though the other tried to hide them. He ignored the larger man and concentrated on the rhythm of his own lungs, choosing not to think at all. Time went by and silence soon reigned. The shorter man sat up and watched Goku sleep. Then he stood and left the room.

The prince walked through the complex to the back door and paused. Inside the room next to him he could feel tense energy. The girl had not gone to sleep but he had not expected her to. He had not expected her to stay either. She just needed time to herself in a place where she wouldn't be disturbed. He knew it all too well. She would leave soon. He continued past and out the door.

Tong rocked back and forth where he sat on the ground. He couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Piccolo?" He desperately wanted some conversation. The Namik opened one eye, where he levitated calmly, to look down on the boy. "Um… How come you don't come to visit very much anymore? You don't train with grampa or dad like you used to."

"I've reached my potential power level. I have no need to train anymore. Goku has far surpassed me and your father doesn't train anymore either."

Tong frowned. "Don't you have to keep it up? I mean, won't you weaken if you don't train?"

Piccolo sighed and settled onto his feet to look down on the boy who just *wouldn't* leave him alone. "I can maintain my energy with little effort now even though I can't increase it anymore. I'm a Namik. Unlike you Saiyans who constantly have to exercise your abilities as if they were muscles, I will naturally regenerate to my physical peek until I grow old. Then I will weaken until my life force is exhausted."

Tong pondered that. "So you're saying that you don't train because it's pointless? Don't you get bored of just sitting around?"

Piccolo looked insulted and answered defensively. "I don't just *sit around*! I meditate! Just because my body has reached its limit doesn't mean my mind has."

Tong grinned at him cheekily. "So, you meditate because your mind wanders? Have you ever lost it before? How hard is it to find again? That reminds me of a shirt I saw. It said "Gone to find myself. If I get back before I return, keep me here"."

Piccolo just regarded him, un-amused, and Tong giggled. He really needed a laugh. It helped take his mind off things and made him relax a little. He smiled and took a deep breath of the crisp early morning air but his spirit fell again quickly. "I really should go find my sister."

The Namik shook his head. "Don't bother. You won't find her."

The tall boy looked up at him in surprise. "What do you mean? Why?"

Piccolo answered matter-of-factly as if it didn't matter in the least. "She's been suppressing her ki for a while now. She obviously doesn't want to be disturbed. I have a feeling that she doesn't plan to come back anyway."

Now Tong was even more distressed. "She's hiding? Why? Why is she planning not to come back?" He demanded.

The green alien straitened calmly, irritated at finding himself so cornered and interrogated. Maybe he should have let the alligator have it's meal. "Why are you asking me? Go ask your father or wait until she chooses to show herself."

The boy began to grow frustrated and argumentative. "I'm *asking you* because you obviously know more than you're telling and it's like pulling teeth to get anything out of you! Ask dad? What do you mean ask dad? What did dad do? Tell me!"

Piccolo closed up and eyed him with annoyance. "Figure it out yourself. Deal with it."

"Ugh!" Tong threw his hands in the air and turned away. "You sound just like Vegeta! Or Spice!" Piccolo glared at him for that comment. Sighing, the boy gave in. "Alright. I'm sorry. I guess I'm… Stressed doesn't seem like a strong enough word but it's all I have. Thanks for saving me. Um... You'll come back right? I mean… Dad really looks up to you. You're presence will make him feel better."

The Namik didn't look extremely thrilled. "We'll see." He answered non-committally.

Tong sipped his coffee with blurry drooping eyelids. He had stayed out all night and now he was having a hard time keeping his red rimmed eyes open while he sat in the little coffee shop. The early morning before-work rush was just starting and he had finally resolved to go back to see his father and Pan.

"Um… Hi."

The young man looked up from his cup and winced, forcing out an unenthusiastic greeting. "Hi, Brian."

An average looking man stood before him wearing a sharp business suit and a restrained smile. "You're up early, aren't you? What are you doing here?"
Tong concentrated on his cup. "It's a public shop isn't it? I'm drinking coffee." He answered bitterly.

The ex-boyfriend sounded snobbishly amused. "Yes, it is, but you know perfectly well that this is the shop I always stop at on my way to work."

Tong rolled his eyes. "Yes, the important executive needs his caffeine. No, sorry, that thought never crossed my mind. This is just the only 24-hour coffee shop I know of."

Brian leaned over to get a better look at the beautiful younger man and his smug expression faltered somewhat. "What's the matter?"

The young Son humphed and brushed at his eyes trying to forestall the tears. He took a deep breath and sighed, deciding to answer honestly. "My mom had a heart attack last night."

Suddenly Brian was all sympathy and understanding. He pulled up a chair and laid a soothing hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Tong. I really am. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Tong tsked and looked away. "Nothing you haven't done already."

Brian exhaled loudly. "I know that some things were said that didn't need to be. You were upset and this has only made things worse. It doesn't have to be this way. Nothing's happened that can't be taken back."

Tong looked at him in disbelief. "Only made things worse? My mom just…and you think I've even given you a *thought*?! Do you really think that much of yourself?! You prick! Do you really think I'm that naïve?! You fucking cheated on me and you think something like that can be taken back?!"

The executive turned angry now. "You little bitch! You should be glad that I'm willing to give you a second chance! You should be grateful that I'll even give the time of day to a little tease like you!"

Tong's jaw dropped and his eyes turned even redder at his ex's words "Fuck you!!"

Fast as thought Brian stood up and slapped the young Son, sending his half empty coffee cup spilling to the floor.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but hear. I know it's none of my business but…" Came a voice with a strange accent.

Tong held his stinging cheek and looked up to see another man tap Brian on the shoulder. When the executive turned around the man belted him squarely in the stomach, dropping him to the ground in a gasping heap. The stranger held out his hand for Tong with a small smile.

"No one as upset as you obviously are should be manhandled like that. Would you like me to walk you out?"

Tong blushed up at the man. The thought struck him that his rescuer looked kind of like Billy Idol with his creamy white skin, short white spikes, and black leather biker jacket, but he couldn't quite place the accent. Hesitantly he took the offered hand and let himself be led out.

"Sorry if I overstepped myself but that guy was begging for it from what I heard. You alright?"

The tall black haired young man nodded and sighed. His voice trembled slightly. "Yes, I'm fine. You really didn't need to but thank you."

The stranger smiled more broadly. "It was nothing. I enjoyed it. My name is Taigar. Is your car parked somewhere around here?"

"My name's Tong and no, I didn't drive."

"Well then, do you need a ride? I can drop you off wherever you like."

Finally Tong smiled at the handsome man and noted the subtle strong wiry frame beneath the black clothes. Only now did he realize how tall Taigar was. He was at least three inches taller than the tall Son.

"Yes, I'd like that."

Spice sat on the floor in the bare room with her back to the wall and her knees drawn up to her chest, staring at nothing. She'd been that way for a while. She didn't want to go to sleep. She wasn't ready to face the dreams again. She just wanted to disappear. To sink into dark oblivion where nothing existed. She felt wired and tense but couldn't bring herself to move from her spot at the wall. A nervous twitch had developed at the corner of her right eye and it was really beginning to irritate her but she couldn't stop it. 'What am I going to do? What can I do? Nothing. It's all worthless.' For an instant the question "Why?" popped into her head but she discarded it instantly. 'There is no *why*. *Why* is a constant that might never be known. It doesn't matter. What *is* is what matters. Right now is what matters.' She sighed to herself and closed her eyes only to quickly open them again. Images from her dream and from the reality only hours past kept flashing beneath her closed eyelids.

'Everything has a reason. It's all cause and effect therefore it makes no difference whether I know or not. It changes nothing.' She told herself this and fully believed it. She refused to question *why* because she knew that there *was* a reason even if it was not an important one. It did not thrill her that it was likely that the reason might just be *because*. Anyway, if she were ever really meant to know the reason then she would learn it sometime. Until then she would not question it because it would just drive her mad. That was something that annoyed her so much about her brother. He was obsessed with knowing *why*. She much preferred *how* and *what*.

She shook herself and gave a high pitched snarl of frustration. What was wrong with her? She was not some heartsick fretful child! She was Spice! She was her grandfather's child and one of the strongest of the Sons below him! She would not be fazed by a few hard knocks. Like hell! She would not wallow in self-pity like some sniveling helpless little girl. She had too much pride in herself to let that happen. Her mom was gone but she was still around. She was just in a different place. Her grampa had been to the afterlife lots of times. It was no big deal. Videl had just moved on and she would be waiting when they moved on too. That time would come eventually. Now Spice knew she needed to concentrate on the present. The girl stood and took a few steps only to stop and stare into nothingness again.

She missed her already.

Snapping out of it once more she left the complex and took to the sky. She had to search for one of her roommate's kis to find out which direction to go. Finding one of them way off to the north-east, she flew on. Farther to the east she felt Vegeta powering up and hastily closed off her senses. She didn't want to know where he was or what he was doing. It was none of her business or concern she told herself as she flew through the early morning mist.

Gohan huddled sprawled on the couch. He couldn't bring himself to sleep in their bed. Not with her gone. He'd cried most of the night and couldn't recall whether he'd fallen asleep or not. Goten had spent some of that time with him but he had to go home incase the children woke up. They knew better than to leave the three boys unattended.

It was early morning and Gohan's eyelids just began to grow heavy when the loud purr of a motorcycle pulled up in front of the house. He got up and trudged to the window to watch his son untangle himself from another man and climb off the heavy machine. Gohan sighed and went back to curl up on the couch again.

Tong let himself in the house after thanking Taigar and walked over to kneel next to the couch and his father. "Hi, dad. You awake?"

Gohan pulled his son into a hug. "Where were you all night? We were getting worried."

"I'm sorry. I just needed some time. I'm here now."

"Who was that you were with?"

"Just someone I met this morning."

Gohan looked doubtful but nodded, not pressing the issue. "You look tired."

"So do you, dad."

"Go on, we should both get some sleep. Did you find your sister?"

Tong frowned. "No. What happened between you and her? Why did Piccolo say she doesn't plan to come back?"

The unhappy father laid back down on the couch and closed his eyes tiredly. "I tried to confront Vegeta yesterday. When he wouldn't listen I got upset. I pushed it and he pushed back and things got out of hand and… I messed up. Your grandfather and Vegeta both got hurt. Dad…isn't pregnant anymore. He had a miscarriage but Trunks said that it wasn't because of what happened." Gohan took a deep breath. "Spice showed up and she was really angry. Angrier than I've seen her in a long time. She was right to be. I should never have let it happen. I've handled everything very badly. She disowned me. She said she hates me."

Tong didn't say anything for a long moment but his eyebrows raised in contemplation. "Grampa isn't gong to have the baby?" The expression on Tong's face was unclear. It was impossible to tell what he felt about the news but it was obvious that it distressed him. "How's he dealing with it?"

Gohan shook his head, still ashamed of himself. "I don't know."

Tong sighed and his tone was humorless. "She always was the decisive one. Its just hard to believe she did it."

Gohan opened his eyes and watched as his son sat in thought. "What happened? Where did I mess up? How did the three of us get so far apart?"

Tong looked away from his dad. "I don't know. It's just…it's a lot of things but…I don't know." He stared down at the coffee table dejectedly. "Nothing ever seemed to be enough. You always knew we were capable of better things."

"You are."

Tong frowned at him. "Just like that. You always concentrate on what we *could* do rather than on what we *have* done. What good is it to look toward something that disappears once you reach it?" The young man shook his head in frustration. "I don't know…I couldn't give you an example or even a specific thing. If Spice were here I would say to ask her. She's the one who remembers everything and files it away but even if she were here she probably wouldn't be willing to talk about it. She only talks openly when she's had something to drink or when she's tired and comfortable and half asleep late at night." He smiled absently. "She would probably whisk up some insightful analogy that would make everything seem so obvious and clear that it would make you wonder why you never saw it before. Gosh, how would she say it?" He thought about it.

Gohan propped himself up on the arm of the couch, his brow creasing in confusion. "Analogy?"

Tong answered absently, still thinking. "She has analogies for everything. It can get really strange listening to her sometimes. She… She would probably say something like…like standing in a field of rainbows. You see one and you run for it because you know it's worth it and that there's something really great at the foot of the rainbow but it always disappears right before you reach it. Then you look around and there's another one but the same thing happens. After a while you get tired and you realize you'll never catch one no matter how hard you try, so why try?"

Gohan stared at his son sadly. "Is that really how you feel? Do I really make it seem that way?"

Tong started from his thoughts and blinked, blushing with embarrassment. "Kinda. Actually, I don't thing Spice would say anything like that at all."

Gohan took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "But that's how you feel. What would your sister say? How did she feel?"

Tong fidgeted a bit. "I don't know…"

Gohan slid on to the floor to sit with his boy. "Please, Tong. I need to know these things if I ever hope to set them right. I've been so stupid lately." A few tears slipped down his cheeks but he brushed them away and sniffed. "I'm sorry we've become so distant. I will do whatever it takes to change it." He watched as his son's lower lip began to wobble and reached out for him. Tong collapsed into the hug and wrapped his arms around his father tightly. "I love you, son. That will never change." He held Tong as the young man sobbed into his shoulder until finally stilling with a spent sigh.

Just then an itch oozed into Gohan's spine between his shoulder blades and the hair on the nape of his neck raised sending a shiver through him. Tong sat up with wide eyes. Even he felt the surge of energy as Vegeta powered up in the distance.

"What is going to happen with you and Vegeta?"

"I… I don't know." Gohan tried to sound encouraging but he could clearly feel the dark quality in the prince's chi, far away. "I'm sure it will all work out."

Tong was silent, thinking again and drying his eyes. "You said Spice was mad at you. What did she do?"

"Honestly, I thought she was going to try to beat me up but she didn't. She said that…she hates me… She said she hasn't been my little girl in a long time and that it's all my fault. She said she's no longer my daughter. She was so calm. I haven't seen her like that since she was little. How did she feel before all this? You said she wouldn't use your analogy."

Tong slumped tiredly. " I don't know, dad. She changes so much. Things always depend on how she's feeling at that moment. When she gets mad is the only time things stay constant. You know how she is with grudges."

"Grudges?"

Tong stared. "Jeez, dad, how could you miss something like that? She remembers everyone and everything that has ever hurt or upset her ever since she first learned to walk. It's like she has a mental checklist full of names with plusses and minuses next to each of them."

They frowned at each other. "That was another analogy."

The younger man sweatdropped. "Yeah it was, I guess I picked it up from her. It sounds like there's a really huge minus next to your name right now. She usually doesn't stay mad that long unless it's really bad but the minus never goes away. At least not for a long long time. Gosh… There have only been a handful of people that she's done this sort of thing with before."

"What do you mean "this sort of thing"?"

Tong frowned as he puzzled through what he knew of his little sister. "There have been a few people she has completely cut off from herself. You know… Like JD. She still won't talk about him for more than a few sentences and that's only if you ask. She takes most things really seriously even if she doesn't act like it. She's the only person I know who knows exactly what she's doing even when she's acting randomly." He shook his head, coming to a realization. "You can't fix this with her. You'll never get back her trust. She probably won't even give you the chance. She's even cut me off before and it took weeks to get her to even be willing to tell me the time of day." Here Tong eyed his father. "And *I* didn't try to kill one of her favorite people. There's no redemption for the damned, dad."

Gohan's hopeful expression melted. "Never?" He straitened sadly. "Well, she can't stop me from trying. If she really sees things the way you say, then I can at least *try* to make it up to her. To both of you. Come on, you're tired, son. You should get some sleep."

Gohan walked his son to his room and then went back to sit at the dinning table. He glanced at the wall, still able to feel Vegeta in the distance. The Saiyajin was staying in one place so Gohan suspected he was training. It seemed the prince did not plan to come for him just yet.

Around mid morning Goku rolled and groaned, blinking at the bright room. Something wasn't quite right. What was it? Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he bolted from the bed, turning around to survey his surroundings. The room was empty.

"OH SHIT!!"

His fingers went to his forehead and he disappeared.

"GOHAN?!"

"AAH!!"

Startled, Gohan nearly fell out of the chair where he had fallen asleep at the dinning table. "What, dad?!"

Goku scooped him up in a hug, visibly relieved. "Sorry. Vegeta was gone when I woke up. I guess I panicked. He hasn't been here has he?"

Gohan rubbed his sleepy eyes. "No, I think he's training or something. Maybe he's happy to let me suffer in the hole I've dug for myself. He's definitely not trying to hide his presence."

Goku concentrated before giving an embarrassed laugh. "Oh. Gosh. I can't believe I missed that. He's almost at full power. I guess I'll go try to talk to him."

"Hey, dad?" Gohan stopped him. "Dad? … How are you? I…"

Goku didn't respond right away but when he did it was with his normal cheerful grin. "I'm fine."

"No, dad. I'm so sorry. Nothing I could ever do could show how sorry I am. Please, dad. It's not alright! Be mad. Be upset. Be…something! You're acting like everything's normal. It's not!"

Finally Goku's smile slipped a little. "Gohan…" The earth raised Saiyan's face clouded over. "What's done is done. It can't be changed. Why do you want me to dwell on it? We all have things in our lives that we have to move past and put behind us."

Gohan stared up at him mournfully. "But, dad, you were going to have a *baby*! How can you brush all this off so easily?"

Goku laid his hands on Gohan's shoulders and gave a small smile. "Because I have two wonderful sons who I would do anything for and one of them needs me. I love you, Gohan. I know better than to worry about something that wasn't meant to be when what I *do* have is so wonderful and important." He gave his son a strong embrace and smiled down at him again. "Now all I have to do is convince Vegeta of that too. I'll see you soon, Gohan. Get some rest."

Vegeta held himself calmly in the center of a whirlwind. The muscles of his jaw stood out, the pressure creating a crushing migrane in his skull and throwing off his concentration. All around him rocks and boulders spun almost faster than the eye in a deadly tornado. Every so often a chunk of deadly granite would spin away due to his lack of control to smash into the earth or nearly clip him. Suddenly Goku appeared next to him. "Vegeta!" The fool powered up quickly to protect himself from the hazardously random hail.

"GO AWAY!" The prince snarled.

"Vegeta, what are you doing?"

The ouji took on even more power and raised one hand high, gathering a group of giant stones from the storm.

"LEAVE ME BE!!"

He thrust his hand in Goku's direction and the heavy rocks sped to slam into the baka, carrying him along with them.

The younger Saiyan was stunned by the impact. By the time he recovered enough to catch himself and destroy the stones, he had been carried quite a ways away. He sighed, watching the strange typhoon in the distance.

"Alright, Vegeta." He whispered sadly.

The prince crushed down upon his mind locking everything away. With one last surge of ki he dove into the fray. Forgetting all else.

Gohan and Goku sat together at the table. Tong carried one last box to the garage and came to join them. All three of the Son men yawned at once. It seemed that none of them had been sleeping well over the last few days.

Pan walked in with her two boys following along behind her. She looked tired as well. "The dojo was total chaos today. Another trainer quit. I can't imagine what the students in that level could be doing. They're only grade-schoolers but I can't manage to keep *any* sensei's for that level. "She started to rummage through the cupboards. "You guys look hungry. What would you like?"

Gohan waved her away from the cabinets. "No, Pan. Don't worry about it, you've had a busy day. We've all been cooped up too long. Let's go out to eat tonight."

Tong shook his head. "Sorry, dad. I can't. I still have to finish up my thesis paper. I've been putting it off too long already. I *have* to work on it. You guys go."

"Are you sure? Do you need some help with it? I know just about everything there is to know about grading those things." Gohan grinned.

Tong laughed and shook his head. "Maybe I'll have you take a look when I'm done. You guys go on without me. Have fun. I really have to get it done. The semester's almost over."

Goku smiled at his grandson. "Well. Why don't you tell us what you want and I'll transport it to you while you study? That way you can do both."

"Sounds good."

Half the evening and three-quarters of the menu later, Goku leaned back with a satisfied sigh. It had been a while since he'd been to a real restaurant. Gohan and Pan were likewise relaxed and the twins were fighting over who got the last piece of bread.

"I'll be right back." Goku stood up to head for the restrooms at the back of the restaurant. On his way back, the way was blocked by a large group of customers so he went the long way round. As he skirted the bar he saw some familiar green-tinted spikes in the corner. A girl was perched on a stool at one of the tall single tables. He approached slowly just to be sure.

"Spice?"

Her eyes locked onto him showing only suspicion and surprise for an instant but a happy smile replaced it quickly. "Kaky." She pushed away the clutter on the table and offered her arms for a hug.

Goku smiled as he squeezed her tight. "Where've you been the last few days? You've been suppressing your ki for a long time now." He peered at her in the dim light. "Have you been sick?" Her cheekbones looked more pronounced than usual and her eyes were glassy.

She snorted and smirked with an almost sly expression. "Nah, Kaky. I've jus been studyin my brains out. I got my teachers to gimme my finals early so I've been cramming." She patted her Bio notes, mathbook, and history papers as proof.

Goku looked over the schoolwork mixed in with a hoard of empty glasses, a trivia game console that worked with the televisions spread around the restaurant, and a walkman, from which his Saiyan ears could detect harsh sounds of heavy metal. "Doesn't look like the type of place where you get much studying done." He observed.

She shrugged and glanced around then frowned and rubbed her right eye in annoyance. "Been havin a hard time concentratin. I needed someplace with some noise. An I know the bartender here, he hooks me up." She patted the stool next to her for Goku to sit and waved to a man behind the bar who grinned and waved back. "I wan ya ta try somethin."

Her grandfather sat down uncertainly. "Um… Okay, but I don't drink alcohol. You know that."

She waved her hand dismissively, quick to reassure him. "Nah, nah, nah, it's jus some fruity thing, real sweet. If ya like it ya gotta promise me you'll come out and have some more with me ta celebrate after I pass my exams tomorrow. K?"

The guy from the bar appeared by her side with another glass that matched the collecton on the table, only this one was full. "Here you go, hun, and who's *this*? Doing real well for yourself, aren't you?" He teased.

Spice chuckled and wrapped an arm around Goku's waist snuggling close with a contented sigh. "This is my Kaky. Isn't he just perfect, Carl?"

Carl grinned even wider. "*The* Kaky? I was starting to think he was a myth. Finally hooked him, huh? He's a definite catch. Especially from what I can see."

Spice looked up at Goku with a playfully sultry expression and twirled a finger in his hair. "Oh, he's always been wrapped around my finger. Carl? Whadya say one a those um…one of those sweet pineapple tropical thingies, the bright yellow one." She handed him a card. "Real quick an then I'm done. Make sure its nice an sweet."

He nodded with a smile. "Sure thing, hun." He looked at Kaky. "You treat her nice when you take her home, she's had a rough time." Goku blushed scarlet when the implications of the whole conversation finally sank in and Spice laughed happily at him from where she was still snuggled, that sly look reappearing for an instant.

He sounded distinctly nervous. "Um… I think you've had enough, Spice. Why don't you come home? Gohan wants to see you so much. He's really worried." Goku put a hand on her waist to support her as he slid off the stool. She tensed and lifted his hand away with a tiny hiss.

"Hey now. Careful what you're grabbin there. I'm not used to it yet. Damn thing is really sensitive."

Goku stared at her dumbfounded.

"My tail." She explained.

He blushed again when he realized what he'd grabbed had not been a belt. "Sorry. Wait. When did you get your tail back?" He sat down again.

Carl brought the drink and the bill, which she signed for and took her card back.

They were alone again and she pushed the drink toward him "A couple weeks ago. Damn nuisance, always getting stuck in things! And, no, I am *not* falling down drunk. I wouldn't do something that stupid when I have three finals the next day. I'm jus havin a little fun. Plus, if Carl thinks I have a big hunky boyfriend like you then he'll tell Gregg to leave me alone incase you're the jealous type and will beat him up for bothering me. He's a damn nuisance too."

Goku frowned. "But I wouldn't."

"He doesn know that. Two birds with one stone; I got to see ya blush and may have gotten rid of an annoying jerk at the same time. Drink up."

Goku studied the beverage while Spice downed hers. It smelled all right. He took a sip and his eyebrows rose. "Hey, that's really good!" He drank a lot more.

"I knew ya'd like it. Now you'll come out with me tomorrow for some more, right?"

Goku hesitated. "You know I don't drink, Spice. Why don't you come home and we can spend the evening together."

She rolled her eyes and stuffed her books into her backpack along with the walkman. "Ya jus did drink and your head didn fall off so I think it's okay and, no, I need ta sleep this off before tomorrow afternoon."

Goku caught her shoulder. "Won't you come talk to Gohan? He's just on the other side of the restaurant. He misses you."

She sighed and gave an abrupt shake of her head again, this time it almost resembled a sharp twitch. "No, Kaky. I know you. You're you and ya can't help it. It's one of the reasons I like ya so much. But I'm not. It's jus not me. I take it Vegeta hasn't come back either? He seems to be winding down a little out there. He'll be back soon. Tomorrow evening this place has karaoke. I won't sing but we can watch everyone else make fools of themselves. Don even try ta bring Gohan. I won't have my evening ruined. Don bother telling him ta come find me cause I'll be gone before ya get ta him. It'll jus torture him. Okay? I'll be here about six tomorrow. Don stand me up, okay? They're prolly wonderin where ya went. Sleep well."

Goku watched her disappear around a corner and then went back to Gohan's table.

"What happened, gramps? Did ya get stuck?"

Pan smacked Kale on the back of the head and Kane snickered. "Don't be so rude!"

Goku sat and hesitantly looked to Gohan.

"What, dad?"

"Spice was here."

"What?!" Gohad jumped up and began to look around the room.

"She's gone now. She was studying in the bar. I tried to get her to come see you."

Gohan slumped back into his chair sadly. "That's okay. Let's go home."

On her way out Spice leaned on the pushbar to open the side door and jumped, squeaking, out the portal. She dropped her bag and rubbed her side vigorously whimpering through gritted teeth. She loosed her tail from her waist and examined it carefully before glancing up and noticing that people were staring at her from the patio seating. Quickly hiding it again she grabbed her bag and made her way to the other side of the tall fence bordering the patio.

'Shit! I'm being so careless! Idiot!' Calming herself, she mentally tallied the faces that she'd just seen. None of them were familiar so she figured she should be safe. Looking around for witnesses this time, she drew out her tail again. It stung horribly from being pinched in the panic bar on the door but looked okay. She rubbed her neck. It still burned from that last twinge she'd had when Kaky had pressed the issue of Gohan. She was way too tense. She needed to calm down a little. Hopefully she'd drank enough to be able to finally sleep the whole night through. Quickly she dismissed the thought of food. It would just give her energy and make her even more tense. Food could wait until she passed her exams. She needed to be able to sit still and concentrate first. As she walked away she didn't notice when one of the customers from the patio appeared to watch her with a curious expression. When she suddenly disappeared into thin air the watcher's eyes grew large with shock.

Well… Guess what.

I'm all caught up. I'm now writing as I go. Hopefully I won't take so long next time. I'll try to spin out lots more and quickly. I'm still thinking on Piccolo and now I am running along another train of thought too. Feel free to drop me a line if you have question or suggestion. I'm doing my best to get past the melancholy and get on with things. There's still a lot to happen.